In 1965 in Manitoba, Canada, hoarding of any kind got little attention. There were no TV shows about it; Bertha was seen as an anomaly and feisty at that, so in an odd way she was a bit of a hero and even admired.

Have a read of this short article: http://archive.macleans.ca/article/1...ng-in-st-james

It was written as the bylaw was about to be debated and amended. A number of neighbours were naturally upset about all the cats and kittens. The actions several of them took were beyond reprehensible.

If only a shelter had been built in St. James in Winnipeg.